Carbon
by Arete
Summary: Basically a weird eigth grade science project. I had to write about carbon in a creative way... please please please R/R


  
disclaimer: I don't own anybody in this story, so you can't sue me.  
  
note: Okay... my science teacher told us to make our report creative... so here it is...   
Iknow it gets kind of wierd at the end..so sorry... i had to end it quickly because it was  
due the next day and it was ten at night  
  
  
(SCENE: GARY'S apartment. GARY is sleeping. Camera focuses in on digital clock, which reads 5:59. It turns to 6:00. The clock's radio alarm goes off.)  
  
ANNOUNCER PERSON: Good morning, Chicago! Today is going to be a rainy one!  
  
(GARY rolls over and turns off the radio. He gets out of bed, grumbling.)   
  
GARY: Grumble, grumble.  
  
(As GARY walks to the door, there is the sound of a newspaper hitting the floor and a CAT meow. GARY slowly opens the door. Camera focuses in on CAT, who is sitting on the paper.)  
  
GARY: (bending down to pick up the paper, says sarcastically) Good morning to you, too. (He looks at the paper. It is tomorrow's paper, which lets GARY go and save people when he reads about bad thing happening. Besides Gary, only MARISSA, who partially owns McGinty's with him, and CHUCK, who is in California, know about the paper.)  
  
(CAT walks into GARY'S apartment.)  
  
(SCENE: GARY'S desk, at McGinty's, in back of the main room. Desk is covered with paper and other junk. MARISSA and her guide dog SPIKE are standing by the desk, waiting for GARY.)  
  
GARY: (as he tosses paper on desk) Hi, Marissa.(He is dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans.)  
  
MARISSA: What's in the paper? (She is wearing a white blouse and a skirt.)  
  
GARY: (Runs his hands through his messy hair and yawns) I dunno. I just skimmed through it. Something about carbon and stuff getting stolen and two guards getting shot.  
  
MARISSA: (Raises an eyebrow) You've had worse. What's the matter? You sound tired.  
  
GARY: (yawns) I had a dream last night and I couldn't go back to sleep. I dreamed my old science teacher made us do a report on the elements in the periodic table.  
  
MARISSA: (smiles) I see. Aren't you going to read more about the carbon theft?  
  
GARY: No. I need to pick up my dry-cleaning. Bye. (Walks out the door.)  
  
(SCENE: GARY walks out of McGinty's, his paper in his back pocket. He begins walking down the sidewalk, when OLD DRUNK GUY runs up and snatches his paper.)  
  
OLD DRUNK GUY: Ha ha. Got your (hiccups) paper! Ha.  
  
GARY: Hey... HEY! Get back here! (Begins running after OLD DRUNK GUY, who is running pretty fast for a ninety year old drunk man.) Come back!  
  
(SCENE: Interior of McGinty's. MARISSA and PATRICK are sitting at the bar, waiting for customers to come. PATRICK is wearing his usual pants and shirt. His tie, today, has pictures of atoms on it.)  
  
GARY: (runs in, panting) Some guy (pant) stole my paper!  
  
PATRICK: (brightly) Well, Mr. H, I can go get you another one.  
  
GARY: (ignores PATRICK and turns to MARISSA) Marissa, I never read the article, I don't know were to go!  
  
PATRICK: You should get a Palm Pilot. Then you can organize your life.  
  
GARY: Shut up!  
  
MARISSA: (to PATRICK) Why don't you go see if those steaks are here.  
  
PATRICK: Sure! (Walks towards the kitchen.)  
  
MARISSA: (to GARY) Calm down. Try to remember everything that you saw. Everything.  
  
GARY: (who has stopped panting) Um... Something about carbon, stealing, with a shootout, two guards dead. It happens at around 3:00 in the afternoon. It said something about the university was around it.  
  
MARISSA: (softly) Carbon...carbon...carbon...  
  
PATRICK: (pops his head in) They aren't here. Why are you saying carbon, Marissa? Did you know that diamonds are a form of carbon? (He goes back into the kitchen.)  
  
GARY: Diamonds? That would explain the shoot out. (He races out the door.)  
  
MARISSA: Gary? (She feels around for him.)  
  
PATRICK: (walks in) He's gone. Is he having one of those vision feeling things? The ones that tell him the future?  
  
(SCENE: Street. It is starting to drizzle. GARY stops in front of BOB's Diamonds and Other Gems. )  
  
GARY: (to himself) Only diamond shop near the university. (He runs in.)  
  
(SCENE: Interior of BOB's. It is a shop with glass counters around the whole room, filled with gems. BOB stands slumped against one of them, listening to a basketball game.)  
  
GARY: You have to close the store!  
  
BOB: Huh?  
  
GARY: Some guys are out for um-carbon, they're going to be here soon. Tell your guards to go home!  
  
BOB: (turns off the radio) Um, sir? Bob's Diamonds and Other Gems only sells fake jewelry that looks amazing real. However, real diamonds are a form of carbon, as is charcoal, coal, and graphite. And we don't have guards.  
  
GARY: Oh, okay. Sorry. (runs out)  
  
BOB: (looks confused) Have a nice day...  
  
(SCENE: Interior, McGinty's. A few people are eating lunch. There is one person at the bar, with a drink next to him. He is typing on a laptop computer. MARISSA is at the bar and PATRICK is talking to the guy.)  
  
GARY: (Walks in and sits at the bar. He glances at his watch, 2:00.) Marissa, I'm back.  
  
MARISSA: (turns at the sound of his voice) Gary? Did you find it?  
  
GARY: No. I can't figure out what it could be. The only diamond place sells fake jewelry. But I got a lecture on forms of carbon. (bangs fist on table) It's a dead end!  
  
(The man typing turns to Gary. He is FRANK, a student at the University of Chicago.)  
  
FRANK: Hi, I'm Frank.  
  
GARY: (waves unenthusiastically) Hi, Frank. I am Gary.  
  
FRANK: I couldn't help but notice your mention of carbon. I am doing a report on carbon for one of my classes at the University. Would you like to see it?  
  
GARY: Carbon? Yes, please.  
  
(FRANK turns to his computer and brings up a program. He clicks on a file and brings up a document.)  
  
FRANK: (points to a drawing of an atom.) This is a model of carbon. It's atomic number is six, which indicates that there are six electrons and six protons contained in the atom. The six electrons are divided up into the energy levels. There are two on the first and four on the second. The mass number is twelve, because there are six protons and six neutrons. They are located in the nucleus (while talking he points to various parts of the diagram) Carbon is in group four and is a non-metal. The atomic mass is 12.011. Its covalent radius is .77. Its atomic radius is 91. Its density is 2.3 grams per cubic centimeter. Its ionic energy is 260 kcal/mole. It has an electronegativty of 2.5. Its melting/freezing point is 3550 degrees Celsius. Its boiling point is 4827 degrees Celsius. Carbon's standard state is a solid at 298 Kelvin, or 24.85 degrees Celsius. Are you following?  
  
(GARY and MARISSA nod.)  
  
PATRICK: (enthusiastically) Definitely.  
  
FRANK: (continues) There are three allotropes, which are crystalline forms. These are graphite, diamonds, and fullerene. The word carbon comes from the Latin word carbo, which means charcoal. Its symbol, C, comes from the name. Carbon can combine with many other elements. For example, it can combine with oxygen and create carbon dioxide. It can also combine with hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur. The bond is produces is a strong bond, and can with four other carbon atoms. This can produce chains or rings with up to 1000 atoms. (FRANK smiles and closes his laptop.)  
  
GARY: (nods) Why did you have to do this?   
  
FRANK: I am taking archaeology at the University, and Dr. Jones was discussing carbon-14 dating. I am doing a report on carbon. (Glances at his watch) Oh, man! It's 2:30. I better go. (Walks away)  
  
GARY: Patrick, go help those people over there.  
  
PATRICK: Right away (he salutes)  
  
GARY: Carbon-14 dating. That's it! I remember! It was carbon-14 dating equipment that was stolen! (He runs out the door, almost knocking over a pair of astonished customers.)  
  
(SCENE: University of Chicago, exterior. Camera stays on sign that says UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO then switches to...)  
  
(SCENE: A hallway. GARY is running down the empty hallway, glancing left and right, looking for DR. JONES' classroom. He runs past a yellow CAUTION, WET FLOOR sign. After a few minutes of GARY sliding down the wet floor of the hallway, he misses a door and slides past it, then waves his arms to regain balance and runs back to the door. On the glass part are the words DR. BOB JONES, JR, which the camera focuses on. GARY opens the door.)  
  
GARY: Dr. Jones?  
  
DR. JONES: (He is wearing an outfit similar to PATRICK'S, except his tie has pictures of Stonehenge on it. He is sitting at his desk, grading papers.) Yes, I am Dr. Jones.  
  
GARY: Do you have a carbon-14 thing-a-ma-jig around here?  
  
DR. JONES: Do you mean a carbon-14 dating machine? Yes, as a matter of fact we do. It's in that room. (He points to a door leading to another room.)  
  
GARY: Do you have security guards around here?  
  
DR. JONES: Yes, actually. You are asking an awful lot of odd questions.  
  
GARY: Call five security guards to stand outside the door.  
  
DR. JONES: Ummm...  
  
GARY: Just do it. The, eh, Carbon God has said this must be so. (GARY makes a face at his pathetic suggestion, but it came out due to a lack of anything better.)  
  
DR. JONES: (His face lights up) He has spoken, and I must listen to Him.  
  
GARY: (smiles weakly) Yeah...  
  
(DR. JONES goes to the phone and dials a number. After several minutes of arguing with someone, he hangs up.)  
  
DR. JONES: They will be here soon, but I must show you the machine.  
  
GARY: (glances at the clock. 2:45) You really don't have to.  
  
DR. JONES: But I must.  
  
(DR. JONES pulls GARY through the door as the FIVE SECURITY GUARDS walk in and stand by the other door. They begin talking about baseball.)  
  
(SCENE: Room. The dating machine is at one end, and shelves of artifacts and ancient objects clutter the room. )  
  
DR. JONES: Archaeology is my passion, and the carbon-14 dating method is my religion. Carbon is the most blessed element there is! It has helped us figure out the relative date of Stonehenge. Many thought that it was copied off of Greek monuments. However, by dating the bodies and tools found at the site, the date was 3100 BC. The Greek monuments were 1000 years younger! Carbon is the most wonderful thing that has been bestowed upon us. It is great that He decided to model us after Him.  
  
GARY: Who?  
  
DR. JONES: The Carbon God! You see, He created us in his image. When a plant or animal dies, they stop absorbing carbon. The radioactive decay slowly reduces the proportion of carbon-14.  
  
GARY: (mutters something about nuts and worshiping elements is beyond crazy.) Mumble, mumble.  
  
DR. JONES: What?  
  
GARY: I said, uh, how does it work?  
  
DR. JONES: It is remarkable. You see, carbon-14 is an isotope of carbon. Other isotopes are carbon-9, carbon-10, carbon-11, carbon-13, carbon-15, and of course carbon-14.  
  
GARY: Isotopes?  
  
DR. JONES: Isotopes are the same element but with a different mass number. This is because the amount of neutrons is different. In the case of carbon-14, there are eight neutrons in the nucleus. This extra mass makes the nucleus unstable, causing it to break apart, giving off radioactivity.  
  
(Outside, sounds can be heard.  
GUARD #1: Hey, you stop!  
SOME GUY: Make me!  
Sounds of fighting drift from the other room. Punches, grunts, and groans can be heard. DR. JONES, however, is caught up in the glory of carbon, so he does not notice it.)  
  
DR. JONES: Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730 years. By measuring the amount of carbon atoms, scientists are able to date certain things!  
  
(Gunfire and screams are now heard)  
  
DR. JONES: Carbon-14 dating was discovered by Willard Filibby, who got a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for it. He worked here, right at this university. It is sacred ground.  
  
GARY: Uh huh (has a pained look on his face)  
  
DR. JONES: Now, the ancients encountered carbon in its varying forms, but it wasn't until identified as an element until the 1700s. They were able to determine that the different forms of carbon are the same element, but different forms.  
  
(Sirens are heard approaching the building)  
  
DR. JONES: Recently, in 1985, a new allotropic form was created. It is called the Buckminsterfullereen, we call them "buckyballs". They are a structure arranged in the shape of a soccer ball that contain 60 atoms. (Continues talking about carbon's contribution to mankind, but...)  
  
(GARY slips out the door, and DR. JONES, who is caught up in his moment of triumph, does not notice.)  
  
(SCENE: Interior, McGinty's. MARISSA is sitting at the bar. The restaurant is mostly empty.)  
  
GARY: Hi, Marissa.  
  
MARISSA: Gary? Patrick brought your paper back! He found it in the alley next to a old guy. When I asked him to read the headline, it said something about carbon.  
  
GARY: (groans) I know enough about carbon to give a report. Hmph... I wonder what the paper says.  
  
(GARY picks up paper. Camera focuses in on headline as GARY groans. The headline reads: THEFT THWARTED BY CARBON WORSHIPING PROFESSOR)  
  



End file.
